The iPhone SE is more important for Apple than you think

The iPhone SE isn’t the kind of device that will generate long lines around Apple stores. But some new research indicates that the device will be a small but important part of Apple’s iPhone lineup. Analysis from research firm Slice Intelligence shows that the iPhone SE has generated significant interest since its announcement, particularly from people who haven’t bought a new phone in a couple of years.

As you can see, the data shows that only 35% of iPhone SE buyers bought an iPhone online in the past two years, and 16% of them were on Android before. Comparatively, 49% of iPhone 6s buyers upgraded from an iPhone, and 10% of them were Android users.

Data collected from Slice also shows that 77% of iPhone SE buyers are men, compared to 69% for all iPhone customers.

Furthermore, research shows that more iPhone SE buyers are less likely to have college degrees and have slightly lower incomes. 39% of iPhone SE buyers have a college degree, while 46% of iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s have a college education.

Without offering a specific number, Slice says that the number of iPhone SEs bought during the first weekend was 94% smaller than the iPhone 6s launch, which was 46% the number of iPhone 6 devices sold when it was released.